Alice x Marisa
by Yuuki F
Summary: Straightforward Alice x Marisa.


There doesn't seem to be many Marisa x Alice fanfics. I wanted to try and remedy this. Not much happens, it's a peaceful one-shot that I don't plan to continue.

* * *

Alice woke up early, the dolls would work on breakfast while she brisked through old dusty books. It was a quaint country-life whose routine had become one that is easily taken for granted, and in which tranquility is the norm in any matter. Some days she would just lazily read through the ephemeral elegance of a bright and sunny morning, other days would be spent gathering materials in the forest to supplement the pleasures of life. But by and large most days were spent doing nothing particular at all. However, every day late in the evening there were two knocks on the door, which Alice reached for like every other day, and like every other day Marisa busted open the door before Alice even took two steps.

There was Marisa as usual, dusting off her hat with a cocky grin, "Yo!" She tracked a bunch of snow into the porch, as she put up her hat and coat.

Alice walked over to meet her, "Well, I see you've let yourself in anyways, as usual."

Marisa replied while unbuttoning her coat, "Yeah yeah, try not to think about it too much, ze~"

"You want me to make some tea?"

Marisa whirled around, giving a warm smile to Alice, "That'd be nice."

Like every other day, Alice would bring some tea to the dining room, while Marisa would gossip about the trite affairs of Gensokyo with an awe that such affairs typically never seem to deserve. Or they'd try outwit each others' insults, which was the usual and familiar diversion for the two. Soon Marisa or Alice would fall asleep, after which Marisa would go back home and the cycle would reiterate on the next day. Of course, rain or snow, it really didn't matter in what condition the weather was in, for even in the most gloomy and downcast of days Marisa could drive away the most impenetrable melancholy from its ambience; and weather was not a thing that could stop Marisa.

Alice brought some tea to the table,"Well, what is it today?"

Marisa nodded and took the tea, "Hmmm, nothing much." She took a sip.

Alice leaned over, smiling wryly, "You mean you came here just to see me?"

"Yup," she took another sip.

Marisa teased Alice, "Oh, what's that, cat got your tongue?"

"Ah, ah...no, it's nothing," Alice quickly caught on to what Marisa was doing and sat back down.

There was a strange silence as the two sat drinking tea.

"Ah, it's starting to snow harder," Alice nodded outside.

Marisa swiveled around to look through at the barren white-floored forest, "Ah, so it is. I wonder what I should do?" she pondered a moment while surveying the landscape before she continued, "Would you mind if I stayed the night here Alice?"

"I think I'd know better than to let a thief stay the night over."

"So that's why you let her come in every evening?"

"And track snow in, no less."

Marisa peered back to the porch, "Ah, sorry about that," she then swiveled back to look outside and continued, "But I guess I should stop Cirno, huh?"

"What has she done?!"

Marisa stared at Alice dumbfounded after giving a quick glance at the snow-covered forest, "It's July!"

"Oh let Reimu handle it."

"Saying that only adds to my motivation."

"Maybe it's just a freak snow-fall in July, no need to beat her up yet."

"I never said I wanted to beat her up because she might be causing the snow-fall," Marisa smiled.

"You're horrible."

The insult only gave instance to a larger grin, "I know, ze~," she continued, "Ah, but I suppose Reimu needs SOME donations."

"When was the last time she received any money?"

"How would I know?"

"You're the thief."

"Ha, Liar."

Alice paused a moment to enunciate and get into Marisa's face, "T-H-I-E-F."

Marisa grinned and repeated the action to Alice, "L-I-A-R."

"My-my, being so rude to the hostess."

"I never heard of a hostess accusing her customers of such crimes."

"Tucked under your blouse, left side."

"Eh..."

Alice glared intently at Marisa until she removed a book tucked under the left side of her blouse and threw it onto the table.

Marisa looked away, hiding a look of defeat on her face, embarrassed, "How long did you know?"

Alice smiled, this was the kind of banter she was used to. This was the kind of banter that continued late into the night. This was the kind of banter that...kept Alice from being lonely.

Alice inspected the book (ignoring Marisa's question), "What's this? Knitting? You seem more the type to throw a needle at someone in a brawl before thinking of more productive uses for it."

"Pah, I just took the first thing I saw."

"At least that story matches well with your character," she looked back at Marisa staring out the window.

Alice sighed in resignation, "I guess you can use the couch."

Marisa swiveled around and immediately replied in a sarcastic overgracious tone, "Oh thank you kind hostess, I won't forget!"

"I'm sure you will," mumbled Alice.

They continued their aberrant conniving discussions until it was late into the night, moving from the table to the couch in the process, until Marisa finally fell asleep.

The next day Alice woke up to continue her routine.

"Shanghai, get breakfast ready, o.k.?"

"Uhm, are you sure you want me to?"

"Why wouldn't I-" Alice paused for a moment before indignantly looking at the floor, giving a heavy sigh, and stressfully asking, "What did Marisa do this time?"

Shanghai smiled, "Maybe you should see for yourself."

Alice angrily opened the door to the hallway mid-way through dressing herself, "Marisa, what are you doing?!"

A muffled reply curved its way through the small household, "Yo! I'm making breakfast, come and eat ze~!"

Alice shot a glance to the smiling Shanghai, "Well, that's a surprise."

She went to go meet Marisa, looking outside and noting that the light snow of yesterday had began to rage into a blizzard.

Marisa copied Alice's gaze to the weather outside, "Yeah, I guess Reimu has really got her hands full."

Alice sat down, "I guess after this we should help her."

Marisa covered her face with a sly smile, "Naaaaaaah."

Alice gave Marisa a dumbfounded look, "You really are horrible."

"My-my, being so rude to the hostess."

Without flinching Alice replied, "Under your hat."

This time Marisa grinned as she placed the book on the table.

Alice took a look at the title, there was a slight pause (probably grogginess from having just woken up) before Alice snatched the book away furiously, "Where did you find this?!"

Marisa smiled widely and relished the moment, "It was a wonderful romance novel~"

"Y-you!"

She got right up into Alice's face, "And to think you were into that kind of content!"

"S-shut u-" Alice paused mid-sentence when she got the picture.

"How long have you been planning this?"

"I woke up early~"

Alice buried her face in her hands, "So you have."

The rest of the day passed very peacefully, and the two exchanged retorts and playful conversation and confrontation to each other's delight. And as the energy for such slowly dissapated, they read quietly under the Sun for the day's remainder. And despite its calm tone, there was not a moment of loneliness to spare in Alice's heart. Finally, by the day's end the snow stopped falling; and Gensokyo quickly became to warm up again, a fact that Alice overlooked but left Marisa thinking to take her leave.

By the next morn, the rays of the Sun drifted through the curtains to wake Alice as she groggily yelled, "Thief!~" into an empty room. There was not even the chirping of birds as she looked out at the melting snow. There was just an ineffable quantity of silence. And for a long while she sat draping herself among the cushions and looking out the window at the slowly moving branches of the trees outside. The house was completely silent. No dolls stirred and no kettles rattled. As it was, Alice felt more lonely than she had ever been. Indeed, it took quite a bit of strength to get up.

Eventually Hourai fluttered to Alice's broken composure, "Shall I start breakfast?"

Alice returned to Hourai a contemptible gaze, rife with unkempt hair and wrinkled clothing. The automaton floated before her without a sound, and to her Alice replied likewise. Without saying a word she walked right by Hourai and over to the window.

She whispered, "Marisa..."

The silence, the complete silence, it was really too much to bear. Soon Alice found herself rushing to the door to put on her shoes and tell Marisa...tell Marisa...

Come to think of it, thought Alice, Why are her shoes, coat, and hat all still here?

A wave of realization hit Alice as she ran to her bedroom to see Marisa groggily waking up in her bed.

Alice was taken back, "What are you doing there?"

"Hm?" She rubbed her eyes, "You fell asleep on the couch, so..." Marisa was slowly getting up to leave Alice's bed as soon as possible.

"Get over."

"What?"

"Scoot," Alice began forcing herself into the bed.

"Ah, I can go back to the co-"

"Stay."

"No, really, you seem like you need mor-"

In a swift action Alice grabbed Marisa's arm, "Please, don't leave me."

Marisa stared at Alice before laying back down and giving her a warm smile, "O.k.."


End file.
